Closing all the hatcheries as of Oct !

[fishfindergeneral]

How can we stop this and why is TVA not stepping up?

[fishfindergeneral]

Yesterday I heard from a retiree that D.C. Booth Hatchery - Spearfish, South Dakota was one of several national fish hatcheries slated for closure effective Oct. 1, 2013. The Service has owned and operated the DC Booth hatchery since 1896. The hatchery provides numerous youth and public outreach programs, receives almost 160,000 visitors per year and 14,000 volunteer hours per year, and houses the only Fish and Wildlife Service fisheries archive comprised of approximately 175,000 objects related to American fish culture & management.

http://www.bhpioneer.com/local_news/article_9f342c1e-0a8e-11e3-b490-0019bb2963f4.html

In checking out the internet I found the following August 29, 2013 article from the Fishing Wire:

Officials of the D.C. Booth National Fish Hatchery in Spearfish, South Dakota may have spilled the beans on a plan by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to close many, if not all, of the nation's fish hatcheries on October 1, the beginning of the new federal fiscal year. USFWS officials have refused comment, saying they're "in the middle of a review process". April Gregory, Director of the Booth Society, the nonprofit fisheries friends group of the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery & Archive sent The Outdoor Wire an email late yesterday afternoon saying that word from "reliable contacts in Washington, D.C." say the Booth Hatchery is one of "several" national fish hatcheries set for October 1, 2013 closure." According to Gregory, The Booth Society has "committed itself" to saving the hatchery which has been open since 1896. Our reliable sources tell The Outdoor Wire other hatcheries on the chopping block are "primarily located in the south." We will keep you posted.

The comment that "other hatcheries on the chopping block are primarily located in the south" really piqued my interest and had me looking on the internet to see what other hatcheries are being proposed for closure on October 1, 2013. I found the following August 28, 2013 press release from "The Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council":

"Is USFWS closing National Fish Hatcheries October 1st?

Federal budget cuts are threatening to close the 117-year-old D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery in Spearfish, a non-profit group that supports the hatchery said last week.

The hatchery is one of multiple fish hatcheries across the country targeted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which is prioritizing other programs over the National Fisheries Program, according to the Booth Society Inc. The USFWS has not confirmed that a decision to close the hatchery has been made.

Even so, some officials say the USFWS plans to close many, if not all, of the nation's fish hatcheries on October 1, the beginning of the new federal fiscal year.

The federal government is planning to eliminate funding to nine Federal fish hatcheries in GA, TN, KY, UT, MO, ND, and AR, which will result in their closure. The closure of these hatcheries will have a lasting impact on local, State, and federal economies. These facilities also provide enormous ecological and social contributions to local and state communities. Nearly 7 million fish are stocked in waters across the country from only six of these hatcheries.

Planned hatchery closings

KENTUCKY- Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery
TENNESSEE- Dale Hollow and Erwin National Fish hatcheries
GEORGIA- Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery
ARKANSAS- Norfork and Greers Ferry National Fish Hatcheries
MISSOURI-Neosho National Fish Hatchery
NORTH DAKOTA-Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery
UTAH- Jones Hole National Fish Hatchery

The economic impact is tremendous - over 3,000 jobs created and a total economic output of nearly $300 million dollars is generated by privately owned businesses selling food, lodging and supplies to trout fishermen. For every dollar spent on these fishery programs a return of $67 dollars is generated in the private sector, and for each tax dollar spent producing trout, $2.34 is returned to Washington in federal tax dollars generated from private business.

It is ironic that the USFWS is celebrating the 140th year of their fisheries program; the oldest program in the agency. They are celebrating this historic event by cutting the entire fisheries program by 12.4 million dollars. They are getting a 47.9 million dollar increase in their overall budget, but have chosen to spend that money on other programs and new programs, and scrap a program that brings revenue into the federal budget at a 2.3 to 1 ratio and supports over 3,000 jobs in the private sector!!!"

If these press clippings and press releases are true then folks within the Service need to stand up NOW and fight for your program. You need to try and stop Dan Ashe from continuing to disobey Congress and the American public - and stop his efforts to dismantle the National Fish Hatchery System.

Folks need to advocate for each hatchery proposed for closure by writing, visiting and calling your US Senators and Representatives ASAP! Also send a letter to Director Ashe and to The Secretary of the Interior. Remember you do not have to be a resident of a particular State to write to that State's Senator or Representative. It is very important for everybody to get involved and fight for the hatcheries - and the National Fish Hatchery System. It is also very important for folks within the Service to stand up and fight for your program!

[Alphahawk]

Very depressing.



Regards

[Travis C.]

In May Alexander worked with TVA's help for a 3 year agreement between feds and state wildlife to keep them open while a permanent fix is negotiated. :confused:

Those two here in TN.

[fishfindergeneral]

I sure hope so Travis.

[Alphahawk]

In May Alexander worked with TVA's help for a 3 year agreement between feds and state wildlife to keep them open while a permanent fix is negotiated. :confused:

Those two here in TN.

Yeah it confuse me also. But reading the articles......I don't know. But the Corp never came up with any money??????


Regards

[fishfindergeneral]

any money they had they spent in a hurry erecting illegal barriers and signs..

[Travis C.]

any money they had they spent in a hurry erecting illegal barriers and signs..

Ain't that the truth. I hope it is saved at the least temporarily.

Not to jump subject but how's mommy and Roxana doing well I hope. You getting back into guiding mode or still daddy mode?

[fishfindergeneral]

everyone is great and i start back next week, thanks for asking. This is the longest I've gone without wetting lines in years. :)

[tkwalker]

:oThis is a hard subject to enter without getting somebody's Panties in a wad .. (Sorry father of 4 you will have to handle that one ? ) I don't want anymore dozens of PM's about my personal political views From folks that really enjoy my site but object to my Political Views ... These are Mine and do not reflect the staff of this site ...

So be it ... these are MY OPINIONS and is not reflected to any of the Staff members of FTI or the overall objective to supply a community service to our fishing and boating agenda ... These are strictly My opinions like any of you posting ... Fair enough ??? ...

Budget ... Dems against Republicans ...

Folks ... This is the World Series ... It has Nothing to do with TVA, TWRA, Or any State control ... This is Federal !! ... Our Dam Barrier Battle was with the Corps which is an Agency under the control of the Congress with committee Members ... AND THANKS TO YOU AND TWRA, SEN. ALEXANDER. PAUL AND MaConald ......WE WHIPPED THEIR BUTT !! ...

Now The Hatchery Issue ... This is all political at a Federal level (There is nothing we can do now.. wait until elections of 2014 or 2016 may help if it goes the right way ) ...

I Knew about this months ago and most of you should have if you were paying attention to the last Budget crises ... You know when The administration shut down the trivial Whitehouse Tours because of budget ... So petty ... I also read that a lot of the Fed Parks and Fish Hatcheries were being looked at ... Go ahead and contact your Legislators about these Hatcheries ... But you are spinning your wheels on this one ... This is 10 times larger than our Dam Barrier issue with the Corps ... This is politics at the Executive Level !!

This is a present Administration political ploy to say the left and the right can not come to an agreement So we are going to cut back on White house tours and Fed Fish Hatcheries , etc. ... Now ... We have a (Lame Duck President) Now for those of you who does not know what this statement means ... Is .. He can't be re-elected , unless he tries to change the Law and Constitution which he has been skimming by the past 5 years and may try it ...

So with all the crises in the world ... Middle east .. On coming Military strike against Syria, Our Economy at at Home ... AND JOBS !! ... Our President is spending Millions of $$$ on Air Force One and His entourage (more planes) going around the country Campaigning about Reducing Student Loan Pay Backs !! ... All He wants is the Youth Vote for the Next election Who ever it is ??

Our Economical growth ?? My modest retirement Portfolio has grown very little over the past 3 years.. Grows a little and then collapse's back to where it was three years ago ... ... Some economic growth !!

That is all this man has ever done Campaign ... he does not have a true plan for our Future ... He was educated abroad ... and does not have any education of 1st. to 12th grade in this Country ... How much do you know about our Country ... Probably more than He does ... (That's why he said We have 57 States ... And He was being Honest ...

This is My Opinion !! ... This Is Why the Hatchery Shut downs are taking place ... And as you have noticed the forthcoming Obama care has not been mentioned which will be a major take down of our Medical system in which our Social Security benefits will be decreased ... The Working General Public Doesn't want it ... Nor do the physicians that will be administering it ...

But Anti Obama Care movements have been developing lately by the Dem's and Republicans ... So The Obama Administration decides to hold their ground on The budget to get what they want will deprive the American citizen of their tax payer $$ that has been distributed to the Whitehouse tours, Fish Hatcheries and Federal Parks etc. for Decades so it can control the upper hand to promote Obama Care that the Country can't afford ....

My Wife is having Her second Knee Replaced next Month ... Her Dr. told Us ... It is a good thing ... From the directives of the new Obama Care ... In 2014 ... regardless of the Dr's recommendation ... everything hinges off of age ... She probably would not be approved ... !!! Who usually needs Old things replaced ... OLDER PEOPLE !!!

She is an active 67 year old woman That I have been married to for 48 years ... I am not going to have the Federal Gov. tell me what and when If ever she can have an operation under Obama Care !!

I know this is way off the Fishing subject ... But Dave brought it up ... This is the root cause ... Politics of our present Administration ... <'TK>< :o

And The There is Medicare Part G


MEDICARE PART G

You're a sick senior citizen and the government says there is no nursing home care available for you. So what do you do?
Our plan gives anyone 65 years, or older, a gun (G) and 4 bullets. You are allowed to shoot four Politicians.

Of course, this means you'll be sent to prison, where you will receive three meals a day, a roof over your head, central heating and air conditioning and all the health care you need.

Need new teeth? No problem. Need glasses? That's great.
Need a new hip, knees, kidney, lungs or heart? They're all covered.

As an added bonus, your kids can come and visit you at least as often as they do now.

And who will be paying for all of this? The same
government that just told you they can't afford for you to go into a home.

And, you can get rid of 4 useless politicians while you're at it.

Plus, because you are a prisoner, you don't have to pay any income taxes anymore.

Is this a great country or what?

[Pookie]

Politics aside, TK has hit the nail on the head. The White House tours were shut down during the budget crisis, even though the tour guides are strictly volunteers. At the same moment, your president was steady planning vacations.

How far would the pending action in Syria go towards keeping the hatcheries open?

[SalmonDaze]

TK has fully described cause and effect here. This is nothing more than a "you want budget cuts, fine; here they come" and "in your face" political game (one might now ask "yes, but where are the obamaphone cuts . . . don't hold your breath).

The Canadians did much the same years ago (but to a further degree, and with environmental regulations that further controls who gets to enjoy our sport).

If I might presume to offer the beginnings of a solution or at least conversation: we will need to establish private practices to manage the fisheries. It will take private donations of private property to build the cisterns, donations for fry, and volunteers to raise and distribute. The State and Fed wildlife regulators will scream bloody murder at this since it has the potential (perceived or real won't matter) to introduce unbalance quantities of predator/bait. Unless we are content to watch our lakes, rivers and streams become the home to nothing but a sparse population of carp and bullhead; there will become no choice but to develop a private trust.

One man's opinion . . .

[browntrout]

Food for thought, If this was to happen would we still be required to buy a trout stamp since the money will no longer be going to the hatcheries since they will be closed. I bet not. I could see us still having to buy the trout stamp and getting $0 for our money. JMO.

Roy

[white95v6]

that's why we should not have federal hatcheries.

it should be run by the state. that's one thing I like about the twra is they take no federal money. soo the feds can not tell them how to run out state wildlife.

the hatcheries as far as I know(and I know very little) are the only places the state uses federal money to run. and you can see what that has gotten us.

[tcintn]

This from Lowell Myers in Arkansas who guides on the Little Red

Sore Lip'Em All Guide Service
Many of you have heard the rumors that have been circulating over the past week via internet and email about the possible closure of several federal fish hatcheries including those here in Arkansas. As President of our local TU Chapter, I have made contact with several people who are closely associated with the Federal Trout Program and all indications are that these rumors have validity. It appears that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prioritized other programs over those of the National Fisheries Program resulting in possible closures of funded hatcheries. If closures occur, they are expected to be effective next month (October 1, 2013). As you know from past threats of hatchery closures, this would be detrimental to our local economy and fishing recreation along the Little Red River. At this time it appears the best action is to contact our congressional leaders to voice concern.

[jad2t]

So if that hatchery closes, does this mean no more trout stocked in the Caney?

[jad2t]

Seriously...am I gonna have to drive all the way to east TN to get some trout to eat? This is bullcrap.

[tacklemake]

It look like they are going to make us eat less fish to keep the stock up........woody

[Jim]

I hope this isn't true.

I have a lot of contacts in the fisheries world and will see many of them next week at a national conference. I will follow up on this and see what the state and federal fisheries folks are hearing.

Jim

[tkwalker]

This from Lowell Myers in Arkansas who guides on the Little Red

Sore Lip'Em All Guide Service
Many of you have heard the rumors that have been circulating over the past week via internet and email about the possible closure of several federal fish hatcheries including those here in Arkansas. As President of our local TU Chapter, I have made contact with several people who are closely associated with the Federal Trout Program and all indications are that these rumors have validity. It appears that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prioritized other programs over those of the National Fisheries Program resulting in possible closures of funded hatcheries. If closures occur, they are expected to be effective next month (October 1, 2013). As you know from past threats of hatchery closures, this would be detrimental to our local economy and fishing recreation along the Little Red River. At this time it appears the best action is to contact our congressional leaders to voice concern.

Here it is in a Nutshell ... Obama was brought up that the USA is evil for the fact of the controls of the colonies, Remember He was not raised in this Country ... His upbringing was foreign of our history or heritage ... ... ...

Obama is a Colonists ... He has devoted his life to make the greatest nation in the world to be humbled and put on it's knees so all the world will have an equal playing field ...

Obama is going to get His way ... He really doesn't care who's local economy gets ruined as long as He has control like some third world Dictator ...

Different from the 'Right To Fish " Campaign that we won ... THIS IS A TOTAL DIFFERENT PLAYING FIELD !!! ... All of the heads of these Departments ... Fisheries, Fed Parks ETC ... Are All Cabinet appointees ... They are Czars ... Appointed by ... GUESS WHO ??? Yep the Pres ... ... This is an Executive Branch controlled In your face like it or not by a Dictator who is going to get his way .. Down right blatant .. And does not care about the general public .. and our past heritage or History or the local economy !!

So writing your congressman is a waste of time They have no control or any swaying upper hand ... This is all Executive Czars ... Out of reach by Congress !!!

Think Back to all of the worst Presidents in you life time.. None has put us in 4 times more debt than all presidents combined including Bush ...

We have a couple of hatcheries that are maintained in conjunction with UT and Tennessee Tech and TWRA (I think on UT ... for sure TN TECH ) so all is not lost ...

Hopefully we can start turning this around in local elections in 2014 and get back to some sort of sanity in 2016 ... <'TK>< :(

[jad2t]

As much as I am disgusted with this administration and have been since day one of Obama's first term, I really don't think he has anything to do with this. Don't get me wrong, I am 10000% against everything the Communist in Chief stands for, I just don't think this problem is the result of something he has said or done. Every single program the Federal Government controls eventually turns into crap regardless of who is President and this is just another example of it. Like it has been mentioned earlier, if these hatcheries were solely run by the state, I bet they'd remain fully functional.

Who knows, maybe some state legislation will pass in the future to give the states full control over these hatcheries and some of our tax dollars can stop being wasted on other nonsense and concentrated on managing our wildlife.

[tkwalker]

As much as I am disgusted with this administration and have been since day one of Obama's first term, I really don't think he has anything to do with this. Don't get me wrong, I am 10000% against everything the Communist in Chief stands for, I just don't think this problem is the result of something he has said or done. Every single program the Federal Government controls eventually turns into crap regardless of who is President and this is just another example of it. Like it has been mentioned earlier, if these hatcheries were solely run by the state, I bet they'd remain fully functional.

Who knows, maybe some state legislation will pass in the future to give the states full control over these hatcheries and some of our tax dollars can stop being wasted on other nonsense and concentrated on managing our wildlife.

I ran into Doug Markham on JPP today while they were filming a segment for CH. 4 ... I had already emailed him about this subject and said He had just returned from being out of State ... He told me some interesting things in what short time we were together ... He is going to get back with me and When He researches more about this ... Also I met TWRA Chris Richardson today who is with TWRA policy and Legislation office .... Let see what Doug has to say in a couple of Days ...

Jimmy, I hope you are right and this can be stopped via another Avenue ... I just haven't seen it yet ...<'TK>< :confused: